September 14, 2010

Manmohan Singh is a person known for reticence and incoherence and not assertiveness [see here and here for earlier references to Manmohan Singh on this blog]. So, when he spoke to a select group of editors last week, his belligerence was unexpected. In fact, that meet seems to have been organised by his spin doctors in response to the media almost calling him a stooge of Sonia. But he was ill-advised to speak that loud, jarring and nonsensical.
Of many things he said, he also remarked on the Supreme Court’s observations and order on rotting food grains in the face of bumper crops and huge procurement on one hand and hunger on the other: "...the Supreme Court should not go into the realm of policy formulation."

Shamelessly the editors who attended the PM’s meet got in their papers editorials written to hail the PM for his remarks and to blame the Court for stepping into the executive’s domain. You can criticise the Court for its uncalled for order asking the government to distribute food grains free to the poor, but hailing the PM for his remarks does not make good sense. In preaching the Supreme Court, the PM has lived up to the Hindi idiom, ulta chor kotwal ko dantey [the thief scolding the cop]. Of course, the spin doctor and his friend editors must be telling the PM that he acted like a statesman.

Manmohan Singh deserved better advice and better feedback. Also better common sense and confidence in himself.